Kelly's most powerful moment came at the end of his argument when he listed, by first and last name, the identities of Bulger's 19 alleged murder victims. As Kelly slowly read the names, he placed their photographs on a screen and dramatically paused as jurors looked at each image.

It's not easy for a prosecutor required to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt to give an opening that involves evidence spanning nearly three decades, and Kelly did a nice job in that regard. In an effort to keep all the times, places, names and crimes straight, he told the jury that he and fellow prosecutors Fred Wyshak and Zach Hafer plan to present their case in as chronological a fashion as possible.

Kelly has a calm delivery and rarely moved from the podium. He had notes in front of him but hardly ever looked at them. Young lawyers would be wise to note that Kelly used plain English and avoided legalese when talking to the jury. Police officers were referred to as "cops" – not law enforcement. Bulger's co-horts as "members of his gang" – not co-defendants.

Kelly also made a point to try to tie Bulger to the decades-old murders by frequently pointing at counsel table and finishing his thoughts by saying: "This man over here. Mr. Bulger…"

When the time came for J.W. Carney Jr. to address the jury, he quickly sought to humanize his client and his legal team. He called Bulger "Jim" and referred to co-counsel Henry B. Brennan as "Hank."

Carney's theme to the jury: The three key government witnesses all made sweetheart deals with the feds and can't be believed because they'll say whatever they need to in order to comply.

Interestingly, Carney didn't say whether his client intends to take the stand. The Boston lawyer has been emphatic in the past that Bulger plans to tell his story at trial, and all indications are that he'll testify. But not addressing the issue during opening statements allows the defense to hold off on making the decision until much later in the case.

Although Carney didn't mention him by name, he made direct reference in his opening to U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns, who presided over U.S. v. Bulger until the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered him off the case earlier this year. Carney suggested in his opening that Stearns was part of the leadership team within the U.S. Attorney's Office that allowed Bulger to knowingly commit drug, gambling and loansharking crimes over the years. Stearns was second in command, Carney said, during the period of time when Bulger was making "millions upon millions of dollars" and being allowed to commit crimes without facing prosecution.

There's no doubt the defense is going to try to call Stearns as a witness. But there are a number of steps that have to be taken in order for Carney and Brennan to do so. Look for Stearns to object, and object heavily. That will be one heck of a hearing.

A couple of other notes from today's proceedings:

It's generally considered bad form for lawyers to object during opening statements, but Kelly stood up four times during Carney's presentation.

It doesn't matter how big the trial is, lawyers always have difficulty at the beginning of a case making sure the equipment in the courtroom is up and running. Kelly had to stop his opening a few minutes in to allow jurors in the back row to get their monitors on.

During the testimony of the first witness, State Police investigator Bob Long, the judge told Hafer she was having trouble viewing an exhibit on her screen.

Casper made clear that she wants to move this thing along. She declined two requests from counsel to approach side bar. It looks like she wants to use the court's time for witness testimony – not discussions with the lawyers.

A juror in the back row appeared to be dozing during the prosecution's opening, but thankfully he picked up some steam as the day progressed and stayed awake. As news spread of the mid-morning snooze, the guy became an Internet sensation. A sleeping juror Twitter account was apparently set up by someone following the action.

Still, the idea that someone could fall asleep during opening statements of one of the biggest trials in state history is mind-blowing. As judge Casper asked the lawyers yesterday, "Seriously?"

Follow David Frank on Twitter @DavidFrankMLW

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